Biography

PRO (76-28/6-1): Re-signed to a one-year deal with the Steelers on April 12, 2012…re-signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on August 22, 2011…re-signed a two-year contract with the Steelers on March 17, 2009…re-signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on March 17, 2008…originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

PRO (76-28/6-1): Re-signed to a one-year deal with the Steelers on April 12, 2012…re-signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on August 22, 2011…re-signed a two-year contract with the Steelers on March 17, 2009…re-signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on March 17, 2008…originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

2011 (16-3/1-0): Saw action on the offensive line at three positions (tackle, guard and center) and on special teams for all 16 games, making three starts…helped block for a Steelers’ offense to gain 372.3 total net yards per game and for QB Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 4,077 yards and 21 touchdowns…9/18 vs. Seattle: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 421 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 298 yards and one touchdown…9/25 at Indianapolis: Saw action on the offensive line, filling in for injured RG Doug Legursky…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 408 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 364 yards and one touchdown…10/2 at Houston: Made his first start of the season at LT in place of injured LT Jonathan Scott…10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams in his 65th career game…took significant snaps at LG in place of injured LG Doug Legursky…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 185 yards, including RB Rashard Mendenhall’s 146 yards and one touchdown…10/23 at Arizona: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 445 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 361 yards and three touchdowns…10/30 vs. New England: Saw action on the offensive line…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 427 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for a season-high 365 yards and two touchdowns…11/6 vs. Baltimore: Saw action on the offensive line…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 392 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 330 yards and one touchdown…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Played a majority of the second half in place of the injured Ramon Foster…12/19 at San Francisco: Made his second start of the season and 27th career start, starting at LG…12/24 vs. St. Louis: Started at LG…also saw time at C, filling in for injured C Doug Legursky…helped block for the Steelers offense to gain 377 total yards…AFC Wild Card Game 1/8 at Denver: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams.

2010 (12-5/3-0): Played in 12 games on the offen­sive line, starting five of them...missed four games due to an ankle injury...played at both guard and tackle, filling in for various injured players on the offensive line...helped pave the way for RB Rashard Mendenhall to rush for a career-high 1,273 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns...helped block for Steelers’ rush­ers to gain 120.3 yards per game on the ground...helped block for QB Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns and for the Steelers’ offense to gain 345.3 yards per game...saw action in all three postseason contests...helped block for Steel­ers’ rushers to gain 121.0 yards per game during the postseason and for Roethlisberger to throw for 622 yards and four touchdowns...9/12 vs. Atlanta: Started at RG…helped block for QB Dennis Dixon to throw for a career-high 236 yards...helped pave the way for Mendenhall to rush for 120 yards including the game-winning 50-yard run for a touchdown in overtime...9/26 at Tampa Bay: Was inac­tive due to an ankle injury...snapped his streak of 18 consecutive starts at right guard...10/3 vs. Baltimore: Was inactive for the second consecutive game with an ankle injury...10/17 vs. Cleveland: Was inactive for the third straight game with an ankle injury...10/24 at Miami: Was inactive for the fourth straight game with an ankle injury...10/31 at New Orleans: Started at right guard after missing four games with an ankle injury...11/14 vs. New England: Made his third consecutive start at right guard...helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for a season-high 387 yards and three touchdowns and for the offense to gain a season-high 425 yards...11/28 at Buffalo: Saw action on the offensive line...helped block for Menden­hall to gain a season-high 151 yards rushing...helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain a season-high 206 yards rushing…12/23 vs. Carolina: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 408 yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 320 yards and one touchdown...1/2 at Cleveland: Saw action on the offensive line...helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 418 total yards and for Roeth­lisberger to throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns...AFC Divisional Game 1/15 vs. Baltimore: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams in the third postseason game of his career...saw significant action at RT in place of injured RT Flozell Adams...AFC Championship Game 1/23 vs. N.Y. Jets: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams...helped block for Mendenhall to rush for 121 yards and one touchdown...was part of an offensive line that didn’t commit a penalty...Super Bowl XLV 2/6 vs. Green Bay: Saw action on the offensive line...helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 387 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

2009 (16-16): Started all 16 games at RG...pro­vided protection for QB Ben Roethlisberger to throw for more than 4,300 yards, 26 touchdowns, and com­plete 66% of his passes during his record-setting sea­son...9/10 vs. Tennessee: Provided protection for Roethlisberger to complete 33-of-43 passes (76.7 pct.) for 363 yards with one touchdown...10/4 vs. San Diego: Paved the way for RB Rashard Mendenhall to rush for 165 yards on 29 attempts (5.7 avg.) with two touchdowns...10/18 vs. Cleveland: Provided protection for Roethlisberger to complete 23-of-35 passes (65.6 pct.) for 417 yards with two touchdowns...11/9 at Denver: Paved the way for Mendenhall to rush 22 times for 155 yards (7.0 avg.) with a long of 36...11/22 at Kan­sas City: Pro­vided protection for Roethlisberger to complete 32-of-42 passes (76.2 pct.) for 398 yards with three touchdowns...11/29 at Baltimore: Was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack…12/6 vs. Oakland: Paved the way for Mendenhall to rush for 103 yards on 20 attempts (5.2 avg.) with one touch­down...12/20 vs. Green Bay: Provided protection for Roethlisberger to complete 29-of-46 passes (63.0 pct.) for a team-record 503 yards and three touchdowns.

2008 (9-0/1-0): Played in nine regular-season games...saw his most significant action of the sea­son on October 5 at Jacksonville when he relieved an injured Marvel Smith at LT...saw action as a reserve during the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional Game against San Diego...9/14 at Cleveland: Was inactive...9/21 at Philadelphia: Was inactive...9/29 vs. Baltimore: Was inactive...10/5 at Jacksonville: Saw extensive action at LT during the second half due to an injury to Smith...11/16 vs. San Diego: Played a couple of snaps at RG when Darnell Stapleton briefly left the game...contributed on special teams...12/14 at Baltimore: Saw action as a reserve along the offensive line...12/28 vs. Cleveland: Saw action at offensive tackle during the fourth quarter...AFC Divisional Game 1/11 vs. San Diego: Played in his second consecutive postseason game as a reserve along the offensive line during the final two drives in the fourth quarter...AFC Championship Game 1/18 vs. Baltimore: Dressed but did not play...Super Bowl XLIII 2/1 vs. Arizona: Dressed but did not play.

2007 (2-0/1-1): Appeared in two games as a reserve tackle and special teams contributor...made first start of the season and first career playoff start at LT in the AFC Wild Card Game 9/9 at Cleveland: Was inactive...9/16 vs. Buffalo: Was inactive...9/23 vs. San Francisco: Was Inactive...9/30 at Arizona: Was inactive...10/7 vs. Seattle: Was inactive...10/21 at Denver: Was inactive...10/28 at Cincinnati: Was inactive...11/5 vs. Baltimore: Was inactive...11/11 vs. Cleveland: Was inactive...11/18 at New York Jets: Was inactive...11/26 vs. Miami: Dressed for the first time but did not see any action...12/2 vs. Cincinnati: Dressed and saw action on special teams...12/9 at New England: Was inactive...12/16 vs. Jacksonville: Was inactive...12/20 at St. Louis: Saw his first offen­sive action of the season...helped Najeh Davenport rush for 123 yards on 24 carries (5.1 avg.) and one TD, while also allowing Ben Roethlisberger to finish 16-of-20 passing for 261 yards and three TDs, which gave him his third perfect (158.3) passer rating of his career, tying Peyton Manning’s NFL record...12/30 at Baltimore: Saw action on the offensive line and on special teams...AFC Wild Card Game 1/5 vs. Jack­sonville: Made his first start of 2007 and his first career postseason start at LT...helped block for Roethlisberger to finish 29-of-42 for 337 yards passing with two TDs...also helped Davenport finish the game with two rushing TDs.

2006 (15-0): Saw action in all but one game, pri­marily on special teams and goal-line situations...9/7 vs. Miami: Saw action on special teams and goal line...9/18 at Jacksonville: Dressed but did not play...9/24 vs. Cincinnati: Saw action on special teams and goal line...10/8 at San Diego: Saw action on goal line and special teams...10/15 vs. Kansas City: Saw action at left tackle and on goal line...10/22 at Atlanta: Saw action on special teams and goal line...10/29 at Oakland: Saw action on special teams and goal line...11/5 vs. Denver: Saw action on special teams and goal line...helped spring Willie Parker for a three-yard TD run in the third quarter...11/12 vs. New Orleans: Saw action on special teams and goal line...helped Parker score on touchdown runs of four and three yards...11/19 at Cleveland: Saw action on special teams and goal line...helped Parker score on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter...11/26 at Balti­more: Saw action on special teams...12/3 vs. Tampa Bay: Saw action on goal line and special teams...12/7 vs. Cleveland: Saw action at LT...helped spring Roeth­lisberger on a two-yard touchdown run...12/17 at Carolina: Saw action on special teams and goal line... played LT in the fourth quarter...12/24 vs. Baltimore: Saw action on special teams and goal line...12/31 at Cincinnati: Saw action on goal line and special teams.

2005 (6-4/0-0): Saw action in six games at left tackle while starting four in place of the injured Smith...9/11 vs. Tennessee: Was inactive...9/18 at Houston: Was inactive...9/25 vs. New England: Was inactive...10/10 at San Diego: Was inactive...10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Was inactive...10/23 at Cincin­nati: Was inactive...10/31 vs. Baltimore: Was inac­tive...11/6 at Green Bay: Was inactive...11/13 vs. Cleveland: Was inactive...11/20 at Baltimore: Start­ed his first career game at left tackle in place of the injured Marvel Smith...11/28 at Indianapolis: Played at left tackle after starter Smith sprained his left ankle in the second quarter...played the remainder of the game at left tackle...12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Started at left tackle in place of the injured Smith, his second career start...12/11 vs. Chicago: Started for the sec­ond straight game...helped the team amass 190 rush­ing yards on 46 carries (4.1 avg.)...12/18 at Minne­sota: Started at left tackle for the third straight game... helped team possess the ball for 36:48 and gain 142 yards rushing...12/24 at Cleveland: Saw action at left tackle in the second half...helped team compile 209 rushing yards on 35 rushes (6.0 avg.)...1/1 vs. Detroit: Was active but did not play...AFC Wild Card Game 1/8 at Cincinnati: Was inactive...AFC Divi­sional Game 1/15 at Indianapolis: Was inactive...AFC Championship Game 1/22 at Denver: Was inactive... Super Bowl XL 2/5 vs. Seattle: Was inactive.

COLLEGE: Manned the left tackle position for his final 37 games...majored in African American studies. 2004: A three-year starter (left tackle) on the offensive line...played a key role in allowing just 12 sacks...helped NU rank 29th national­ly in total offense (409.5 ypg). 2003: Team’s starting left tackle...made his 25th straight start in the Motor City Bowl game at tackle...was named to ESPN.com’s 2003 All-Bowl team for his performance vs. Bowling Green, when NU rushed for a bowl-record 357 yards. 2002: Moved from tight end to offensive tackle during the preseason...was making excellent progress at the position until an ankle injury slowed him down dur­ing preseason camp...came back to start at left tackle versus Air Force...started all 12 games. 2001: Started every game as a tight end in 2001 for Northwestern, catching three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown... true freshman tight end who was named to The Sport­ing News Big Ten All-Freshman team...scored his first collegiate touchdown against Iowa, a 3-yard recep­tion...first reception was a 13-yarder at Duke.

PERSONAL: Attended Paul Harding High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.)... ranked the fifth-best tight end in the country by Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report and earned All-Ameri­ca honors as a senior...Prep Star Super 30 All-Midwest Region, Prep Star Top 125 Dream Team, SuperPrep all-region, Bloomington Herald Top 33 all-state, Associat­ed Press all-state and Indiana Football Coaches Asso­ciation (IFCA) Top 50 all-state team choice in his final year...IFCA Region III MVP, National High School Football All-Star and selected to play in the Indiana North-South All-Star Game...caught 83 balls for 1,416 yards and 14 touchdowns in his high school career...lettered four times each in football and basketball...named all-con­ference in basketball as junior and was a member of the school’s honor roll 10 times...son of Kimberly and Donald Essex...is married to Christina and they have one daughter, Amiyah Gabrielle…Full name: Trai Jamar Essex.